Newcastle Thunder chairman Keith Christie has issued an ultimatum to the north-east’s rugby league community ahead of his team’s return to action in Betfred League One next season.
Christie has been integral to the resurrection of the club who announced their resignation from senior competition following relegation from the Championship in October, when departing owner Semore Kurdi said it was “not feasible” to continue.
A group of volunteers led by Christie responded by stepping in to chisel a viable business plan which resulted in an application to effectively rejoin the domestic league’s third tier being accepted two days before Christmas.
The heady days of full-time professionalism and aspirations of Super League have been shelved for the time being, as Christie works to grow the club from the bottom up, a project for which he stresses the backing of local fans and businesses is critical.
“The club has gone through a couple of guises with serious investment, and it hasn’t worked,” Christie told the PA news agency.
“My question was, do we have the desire for a rugby league team in the north-east? And the overwhelming response was, we do. To which my answer is – prove it.
“I’ve been through the mill a couple of times with this club and it’s not something I do lightly. It takes a lot of time and effort. We have a financial commitment and a ground, but it is fundamentally balanced on the investment and support we get from the people in the north-east.”
Christie has been involved with the club in an official capacity since he was first appointed general manager in 2009, and has observed their fluctuating fortunes, including a decision to go full-time in 2022, which was reversed the following year, plunging them to the foot of the Championship.
With the club having been left debt-free following talks with outgoing owner Kurdi, and striking a deal to continue playing at Kingston Park, at least in the short-term, Christie sees plenty of cause for optimism.
Newcastle-born former Super League player Chris Thorman has committed to another season as head coach, while there was also an unexpected boost in the first list of ratings issued by sports media giant IMG, which will determine the make-up of the top-flight from the 2025 season onwards, which rated Thunder – ironically dormant at the time – in 18th position.
“The IMG ranking is a bit of a bonus but it wasn’t a driving factor,” added Christie. “We have been through a lot of areas where mistakes were made, and one thing we learned is that we can’t expect to go out and buy a winning team.
“We’ve got a huge opportunity to grow the game organically and develop our own players. To do that we have to be sustainable, but we also have to have investment, and that’s the message I’ll be sending throughout the year.
“As romantic as it sounds, I’ve been part of rugby league in the north-east since 1989, and I don’t want to lose this.”
Women Reggae Warriors squad named for America’s Women’s World Series Qualifiers in Jacksonville
Jamaica has named a 19-woman squad for the upcoming America’s Women’s World Series Qualifiers set for November 6-9 in Jacksonville.
The Women Reggae Warriors, currently ranked 22nd in the world, will take on the USA in the semi-finals on November 6 at the University of North Florida before the winner takes on world number seven Canada in the final on November 9.
Brazil were originally supposed to be a part of the tournament but withdrew in June due to funding and logistical issues.
The winner of the final will advance to the 2025 World Series for a chance to advance to the 2026 Women’s Rugby League World Cup in Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Women Reggae Warriors squad: Alicia Richards, Aniya Smith, Chevelle Clarke, Darcey Price, Debisha Scarlett, Dejonaye Cole, Elyse Royal, Gianna Noble-Cunningham, Kamoya Forrest, Kaya-Jo Laing, Mackayla McCalla, Makeda Lewis, Moesha Bogle, Shanice Stewart, Shanique Smith, Sherine Johnson, Shoya Gordon, Tarja Richards, Veronica Blair.
Reggae Warriors fall to Wales in rain-soaked Rugby League international
Jamaica's Reggae Warriors suffered a narrow 22-16 defeat to Wales in a rain-drenched international rugby league encounter on Tuesday at The Gnoll in Neath. Despite leading 10-0 early in the match, Jamaica couldn’t hold off a determined Welsh side that rallied in the second half to secure the victory in front of 1,300 fans.
Jamaica, fielding a new-look squad with eight debutants, got off to a dream start. Ben Jones-Bishop opened the scoring in the fifth minute, slipping through the Welsh defense after a missed tackle. Just minutes later, Alex Young, brother of England international Dom Young, pounced on a loose ball following Kieran Rush’s precise kick to double the lead for the Reggae Warriors.
With a 10-0 advantage, Jamaica appeared to be in control, but Wales adapted to the worsening conditions. Rhys Williams, Wales' record-cap holder, sparked the Welsh comeback just before halftime, scoring a crucial try after running onto a kick from captain Elliot Kear.
The second half saw Wales take advantage of the wet conditions and gain momentum. Debutants Huw Worthington and Max Clarke both crossed the try line, giving Wales the lead for the first time in the match. A strong performance from Gil Dudson, named man of the match, and a try from Matty Fozard stretched the Welsh lead, sealing the comeback victory.
Jamaica struggled to find their rhythm in the second half, especially after losing playmaker Kieran Rush to injury early in the period. Despite a late try from Joshua Hudson-Lett, Jamaica couldn’t close the gap, leaving the final score at 22-16 in favor of Wales.
For Jamaica, the match provided valuable experience for a squad featuring many new players, including the only non-UK-based player, Alex Young of the Sydney Roosters. Despite the loss, the Reggae Warriors showed promise and will look to build on their performance in future fixtures.
Match Summary
Wales (4) 22
Tries: Williams, Worthington, Clarke, Dudson, Fozard
Conversions: Fozard
Jamaica (10) 16
Tries: Jones-Bishop, Young, Hudson-Lett
Conversions: Carter
Penalty: Rush
The defeat marks another step in Jamaica’s journey to establish themselves on the international rugby league stage as they continue to gain experience against quality opposition.
Reggae Warriors name 20-man squad to face Wales on October 15
Jamaica has called up a 20-man squad to prepare for their international clash with world number 17 Wales, at the The Lextan Gnoll in Neath, on Tuesday, October 15 (kick-off 7.30pm).
Most players called up play in English competitions, the lone exception, Alex Young, is currently signed to the Sydney Roosters in Australia. Included are veterans such as Ben Jones-Bishop, James Woodburn Hall, Mo Agoro, Jordan Andrade, Keenen Tomlinson, and Ross Peltier. However, there are also plenty new faces with possible debutants coming from Darius Carter, Delaine Gittens-Bedwards, Jaden Dayes, Leo Skerritt-Evans, Aaron Smalls, Keenan Ramsden and Joshua Hudson-Lett.
Injury has forced the withdrawal of inspirational captain Ashton Golding (Huddersfield), Jerome Yates (West Warriors) and Greg Johnson (Moldgreen), whilst Michael Lawrence (Bradford) and AJ Wallace (Huddersfield) are unavailable due to club duties. Resulting, former captains Joe Brown and Jy-Mel Coleman, both instrumental in Jamaica’s qualification to the 2021 World Cup, have made themselves available if required, with Coleman doubling as an assistant coach.
Jamaica will be coached by Rhys Lovegrove, who is Academy Head Coach at Super League club Hull KR. He commented, “I’m really honoured and privileged to be part of the coaching set and excited to see some new faces pull on the jersey to face Wales”.
Director of Rugby and Head of Jamaica’s men’s programme Romeo Monteith added, “As an organisation we are happy to face Wales at their home. They are a good team with a proud history in rugby league. Jamaica remains committed to playing at least one international in Europe annually and we hope to collaborate more often with Wales in the future. The game helps them prepare for their European World Cup qualifiers, and it helps us in our preparation for the World Series in 2025 as it’s vital our professional players get a chance to play together as often as possible.”
The Reggae Warriors played their last men’s international against the USA on December 3, 2024, going down 26-30. After Wales, Jamaica faces Canada in Toronto on October 19.
JAMAICA SQUAD:
Delaine Gittens-Bedward (Barrow Raiders), Joshua Hudson-Lett (Bedford Tigers), Leo Skerrett-Evans (Castleford Tigers), Aaron Small (Cornwall), Keenen Tomlinson (Featherstone Rovers), James Woodburn-Hall (Halifax), Darius Carter, Kieran Rush (Huddersfield Giants), Chris Ball (London Broncos), Alex Brown (Moldgreen ARLFC), Mo Agoro (Oldham), Jaden Dayes, Jordan Andrade (Rochdale), Ben Jones-Bishop (Sheffield), Keenan Ramsden (Siddal), Alex Young (Sydney Roosters), Isaac Coleman (York Acorn), Joe Brown, Jy-Mel Coleman, Ross Peltier (Unattached)
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